Portarlington to host first-ever Greek festival on Melbourne Cup weekend

The Bellarine Peninsula is acceptable to travel live with music, nutrient and dancing arsenic Portarlington hosts its first-ever Greek Festival connected Sunday 2 November, coinciding with the Melbourne Cup agelong weekend.

The inaugural is the brainchild of Alexandra Dascarellos, who says the festival is dedicated to her precocious begetter Nicholas and her mother, some from Patra, Greece.

“This is my imagination travel true. It took three months to unafraid support from Bellarine Bayside, but we’re yet bringing a Greek festival to Portarlington,” she told Neos Kosmos.

“I americium dedicating it to my parents, and particularly my begetter Nicholas, who taught his 8 children Greek connection and creation astatine home, often breaking my mother’s plates successful the process!”

Running from 10am to 5pm astatine W. G. Little Reserve and the Seniors Community & Parks Hall connected Newcombe Street, the festival promises to unite locals and visitors with a vibrant programme of music, dance, nutrient and taste experiences.

Headline acts see Anagenisi, 1 of Melbourne’s astir fashionable Greek bands, and a unrecorded broadcast by Greek vigor station 3XY from the festival grounds. Dancers, including traditional performers and belly dancers, will take to the stage passim the day, while children’s activities, cooking segments and taste displays are besides planned.

Food stalls will diagnostic Greek classics alongside ouzo from Danny Doy Distillery, with wine, brew and handmade goods by marketplace stallholders adding to the mix.

Festival organiser Alexandra Dascarellos said she wants everyone to consciousness portion of the day.

“As radical say, there’s nary amended spot for a Greek festival than successful Portarlington.”

“It’s astir uniting us all, due to the fact that astatine the infinitesimal the world is afloat of misery. Everyone I’ve spoken to said they’re coming, they want a spot of respite and enlightenment successful their life,” she said.

Portarlington. Photo: Geelong and The Bellarine Facebook Page

Dascarellos, who besides runs the section makers’ markets, said the success of those events helped animate her to found a dedicated Greek festival.

“Australia is simply a premix of cultures and I thought, ‘Why can’t we bring it to the Bellarine?’ We desperately request much taste events. We request to observe people’s culture, to interruption down ignorance… we request much acceptance and tolerance of everyone’s civilization successful this world.”

The festival ιστοσελίδα sits crossed the roadworthy from the historical Portarlington Grand Hotel and within walking region of the Portarlington ferry terminal, providing casual entree from Melbourne. Organisers are working connected accessibility measures, amenities and wet-weather contingencies. Entry is free, though donations are welcome to screen expenses, with Dascarellos hoping to besides lend funds to victims of caller bushfires successful Greece.

She hopes the lawsuit will go an yearly fixture connected the Bellarine calendar.

“This festival is astir celebrating our Greek-Australian civilization while keeping it unfastened and welcoming to everyone. It’s astir unity, practice and pridefulness — but besides astir giving something backmost to the section assemblage and traders. The world needs much taste festivals to punctual us that we are one.”